Do Nothing Day

Thursday

Another perfect weather day. And we basically did nothing. I dropped some laundry off. Otherwise we just stayed home. Oh, I did make to O’Flaherty’s for a beer. Fergus, the owner, was tending bar and I learned some very sad news. Mary had worked at O’Flaherty’s for twenty odd years and we knew her well. I asked Fergus if she was still working. Alas, she died suddenly this past year. She worked one night. The next day she collapsed in her home and was DOA at the hospital. Very sad.

Why did I drop laundry off? We do have a washer/dryer. But the wash cycles are long and drying a load literally can take three hours. So we decided to let the local cleaner do the dirty work. I’ll pick up the clean clothes in the morning.

Why am I drinking Harp instead of Guinness? On our last Christmas trip here I was sick (twice). It wasn’t the Guinness that made me sick, but I sort of lost my taste for it. So I am drinking Harp (which is, of course, brewed by Guinness)..

Since we did nothing, there are no pictures. So, here’s a little more of a geography lesson. Yesterday (or the day before?) I included a map of Dingle Town. Here’s one of the Dingle Peninsula with the town circled.

Yesterday’s drive to Slea Head goes west out of Dingle through Ventry, Courmeenoole, Dunquin, and Ballyferriter. From Ballyferriter we doubled back to Dingle. Slea Head Drive continues from Ballyferriter through Murreagh to Brandon Creek from where you go overland back to Dingle. We’ll do that section soon.

The big white blob east of Brandon Creek is Mount Brandon. If you drive northeast out of Dingle Town, you go over Conor Pass (also spelled Connor Pass) to the other side of Mount Brandon. Very narrow roads! You can go to the picturesque small town of Brandon or further east to Castlegregory (the most beautiful place on earth?), numerous beautiful beaches, and eventually to Tralee.

When we go to Tralee from Dingle, we take the N86 through Annascual (home of Tom Crean’s South Pole Inn).. From the N86 you can also bear right at Annascual and go to Inch Beach, Castlemaine (home of the Wild Colonial Boy), and eventually Killarney (not shown). The road from Castlemaine through Milltown and Killorgin is the start of the famous Ring of Kerry. Just past Killorgin, you’ll see Glenbeigh where the local oysters are farmed.

Be back tomorrow (probably).